Trudeau dazzles and disappoints in Saskatoon

Justin Trudeau addressing the audience in the Health Sciences Building of the University of Saskatchewan. Photo: Arthur White-Crummey/Daily Herald.

In Justin Trudeau’s Saskatoon town hall on Wednesday, two themes stuck out: his knack for playing both sides of contentious issues and his expressed commitment to reconciliation with indigenous peoples.

Trudeau filled a University of Saskatchewan auditorium for the ninth stop in his cross-Canada tour. After an introduction by Regina-Wascana MP Ralph Goodale, the Prime Minister entered to heavy applause and thanked the audience for getting involved in politics.

“For me this is part of what politics should be all about,” he said. “A collaborative, responsive dialogue about how we can all work together to build the best possible country.”

But things got heated right away, when Trudeau called on a man who wasn’t happy with the carbon tax.

“What’s the strategy behind choosing to pursue a carbon tax when there’s ample evidence on the record that it doesn’t work?” The man asked. “Why aren’t we pursuing a made-in-Canada policy to combat climate change?”

Trudeau said his aim is to protect both the environment and the economy, but acknowledged that carbon pricing will cause short-term pain for some sectors.

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 27 print or e-edition of the Daily Herald.

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